Rwandan national, Ukiliho Kayishema Fulgence, who was arrested in Paarl on Wednesday 24 May, has abandoned his bail application and will instead launch an asylum application.
He faces a mountain of 54 charges, comprising nine counts of fraud and 10 counts of the Contravention of the Refugees Act, aside from 35 counts of the Contravention of the Immigration Act.
On Tuesday 20 June he told the court through his lawyer that at this stage he was abandoning his bail application, according to the National Prosecution Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila.
“On 9 June 2023, the state provided a comprehensive charge to the defence and the defence requested a postponement to consult their client. On Tuesday Fulgence’s lawyer, Juan Smuts, confirmed that he did consult with his client who had instructed them that he was abandoning his bail application.”
Smuts did not indicate whether his client intended to bring a bail application at a later stage. Either way, Ntabazalila pointed out, the state will oppose the bail application.
However, state advocate Nathan Adriaanse told the court the asylum application has no bearing on the court case.
“Adriaanse also told the court the state had come across new evidence which will likely lead to new charges being added to the ones preferred against the accused.
“He further told the court that the State will apply for a centralisation certificate, as some of the cases that have emerged were committed outside the Western Cape.”
Ntabazalila explained this certificate will allow for all the cases preferred against the accused to be prosecuted in the Western Cape.
The case has been postponed to 18 August 2023 for further investigation, until which time Fulgence is remanded in custody.
Referred to as the “Butcher of Nyange” by the Rwandan press, Fulgence was being hunted for 21 years by Rwanda’s International Criminal Tribunal for his alleged involvement in the country’s 1994 genocide.
“During this time Fulgence Kayishema (sic) worked as a security guard at a Paarl wine farm under a false name, pretending to be a Burundian war refugee,” according to the Sunday Times.
